Villanova's Darrun Hilliard averages 11.4 points per game for the on-the-bubble Wildcats. / Robert Franklin, AP

by Patrick Stevens, Special for USA TODAY Sports

by Patrick Stevens, Special for USA TODAY Sports

The one truly borderline team in action Monday was Villanova, which illustrated one of the truisms of life on the bubble.

Close victories are still victories.

The Wildcats (17-10, 8-6 Big East) rallied from a feeble first-half performance to dispatch Rutgers 71-63 at home and maintain their place in the projected field.

Villanova is like just about every borderline team. The Wildcats have done some good, beating Louisville, Syracuse and Connecticut. They're also far from a sure thing, with a 6-9 record against the top 100 (including that victory over mediocre Rutgers) and an ugly blowout loss at home to Columbia.

Jay Wright's team still has Marquette and Georgetown at home, Pittsburgh on the road and the Big East tournament still to come, so some stumbles are to be expected. But surviving a less-than-stellar start like Monday's ensures there's one less concern in March about a team likely to live on the edge with its postseason hopes for much of the next four weeks.

Elsewhere Monday:

Notre Dame's RPI (50 after Sunday's games) doesn't exactly match the Fighting Irish's 21-6 record. And the Fighting Irish isn't always pleasant to watch. Yet Monday's 51-42 victory at Pittsburgh solidifies Notre Dame as a top-half-of-the-bracket team. The Irish has four top-50 victories, a winning record outside of South Bend and no especially forgettable losses. That last part won't change until the Big East tournament at the earlier; Notre Dame finishes with Cincinnati, Marquette, St. John's and Louisville.

Bucknell's chances of returning to the NCAA tournament after a one-year hiatus improved considerably. Mike Muscala and the Bison won 61-55 at Lehigh, and must only win two home games (Holy Cross and American) and top last-place Navy in Annapolis to secure home-court advantage throughout the Patriot League tournament.

On deck:

The marquee game of the night is, not so shockingly, in the Big Ten. Projected No. 1 seeds Indiana and Michigan State meet in East Lansing in a game that probably won't vastly alter the look of the bracket, but could put Miami in position to take over as the No. 1 overall seed for the moment.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they play host to Virginia (18-7). The Cavaliers might be 6-1 against the top 100, but their distinct resume (six losses to teams outside the top 100 and a dreadful nonconference strength of schedule) means this is a significant opportunity.

Missouri (18-7) can't solve its road woes Tuesday, but it can collect an immensely valuable victory when Florida pays a visit. The Tigers are 14-0 at home this season and are in no serious danger of falling into borderline territory; defeating the Gators would reduce that minimal risk considerably.

Indiana State keeps losing games it shouldn't (such as last week's setbacks to Bradley and Missouri State), and its at-large chances continue to dwindle. But it has one last opportunity to earn an upward bump as it looks for the season sweep at home against Missouri Valley leader Wichita State.

You will automatically receive the TheDailyJournal.com Top 5 daily email newsletter. If you don't want to receive this newsletter, you can change your newsletter selections in your account preferences.